Minimum Wage in the United States and Japan

Minimum Wage Definition

United States

Minimum Wage

• the minimum hourly, daily or monthly wage that must be paid to employees or workers. Each country sets its own minimum wage laws and regulations, and more than 90% of all countries have some kind of minimum wage legislation. (according to wikipedia)

the federal minimum wage

• $5.15 per hour since 1997

minimum wage of each state

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.gif

• (green-States with minimum wage rates higher than the Federal, blue-States with minimum wage rates the same as the Federal, yellow-States with no minimum wage law, red-States with minimum wage rates lower than the Federal)

Japan

http://www-cgi.cnn.com/WORLD/maps/japan.tokyo.jpg

• Minimum wages in Japan are determined by the Minister of Labor or the Chief of the Prefectural Labor Standards Office, and adjusted taking into consideration changes in economic and other affairs, as recommended by the Minimum Wage Council. Those systems vary with each region in Japan.

2 minimum wage systems

1)Regional

• applie to all workers
• 5.1~5.9 dollars/ hour (120yen/dollar)

2)Industry

• applies to all workers in a specific industry throughout Japan, and the minimum wages vary with the quality of jobs
• 5.1~6.7 dollars/ hour

Minimum Wage Differences

United States

Whom does minimum wage apply? http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/pg/2/objectId/244AD836-D9F5-49AE-813B0478FF97298B/catId/A6167778-4246-4156-A6277BB2DF1CE4C4/111/259/232/ART/

Japan

Whom does minimum wage apply?

United States and Japan Enforcement Laws

United States

Who regulates?

• Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division

What is regulated?

• Minimum Wage
• Overtime
• Child Labor Standards
• Record Keeping

How are regulations maintained?

• Submitting of Records

Consequences

• Fines not exceeding $10,000 per violation

Japan

Who regulates?

• Ministry of Labour (Korosho)

What is regulated?

• Same as United States

How are regulations maintained?

• Inspections in Demember and Springtime
• Submitting Records

Consequences

• Fine not exceeding 10,000 yen

United States's vs Japan's Minimum Wage

United State's/Japan's Advantages

United States

• Benefits for working families
• Benefits for disadvantaged workers
• Help reserve the trend of declining real wages for workers
• Strategy to end poverty
• Low public and social costs

United State's/Japan's Disadvantages

United States

• Reduce of labor hours and/or employment
• Reduce profits
• Raise prices
• Attracts immigrants from low wage countries